[Page 34]
At
Sitka, June 16th, we found no new species except Harris's
Woodpecker (shot by Ridgeway) Went down to Hot Springs, got Stellar's Jay, Rufus Hummers were very common, and one pair of
Sooty Song Sparrows were nesting near the woods in a clearing.
The female I shot.

Started up Mt. Verstoria on the
18th to see if I could find any of the alpine birds. On the low
plains area, at the foot of the mountain ravens
were very plentiful, and fish-crows (caurinus) were very numerous on the shore
below Sitka.

[Page 35]
Varied Thrushes were heard and one came to our chirping so near
that it screamed and went shooting out again as quick as it could
paddle.

A blue heron rose from the beach as we came out of the
woods. Stellar's Jays squawked but kept out of sight.
Juncos
were trilling and every once in a while the vigorous little cry
of Empidonax difficilis [illus] (fswss) would be heard in the
spruces. A 1000 ft up the mt. chicadees (sp. ruf.) were seen and heard and
western robins were seen from 1300 ft up to 2800 ft. The
only bird seen above snow was the Robin

Short Billed Gull seemed to be nesting on "Egg
Island," at the head of Disenchantment Bay Yakutat. Shot one
nearby Ð and heard in the low Alder growth on a small plateau a
thrush song which seemed very like that of the veery.
It was quite common, several being heard in different places, and
was clearly neither the russet backed nor dwarf hermit. (the latter was also heard there.)
Barn swallows are seen frequently. They were common in
Skagway, Sitka, + all the towns we have stopped at, and this A.M.
one was seen skimming around the ship in [Page 37] this remote place, where
the nearest human habitation is an Indian tent camp, + that is
some miles away.